A troubled teenager finds escapism from her everyday life by imagining a magical world in which she battles evil giants.
Certificate
Duration106 mins
Review by
Image Comics' I Kill Giants is a brilliant film, that explores the emotions of loss and grief, but the feelings of fear and courage also appear in the film. Other films that feature similar themes include: Raya And The Last Dragon (2021), Transformers (2007, 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2018) and Star Wars (1977, 1980, 1983, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2015, 2017 and 2019).
The narrative is about being brave and doing what you think is right. This is portrayed when Barbara tries to protect everyone from the giants. Barbara believes that she needs to have courage in order to do what needs to be done and save the town. The film is also about friendship, between Barbara and Sophia, and the tension between them and Taylor. This is a key message conveyed in a school environment and how this effects the life that the character leads.
The film, I Kill Giants, is set in the present day. We can tell this by the clothes the main characters are wearing. For example, Barbara's bomber jacket is a relatively new fashion and similarly with Sophia's yellow coat and jeans. Additionally, the setting effects the character's behaviour. Barbara is calm and determined at home and in the woods, but there she is also highly aware and cautious of her surroundings.
The film contains music that reflects what is happening on screen. When Barbara is escaping the giants, the music is tense and nerve-wracking making you feel worried about Barbara reaching safety. However, when she returns to school, the music is joyous and lively to convey the excitement in the film.
You associate Sophia with yellow because she is often seen wearing a bright yellow coat. This may suggest that Sophia has an optimistic nature because it is connotes with fluorescent yellow. However, light pink and blue are often seen as the colours that Barbara wears. Even though these colours can tell you about each character, this narrative could be told in black and white, but it is more affective with colour.
Although Barbara is seen as the main character, Sophia also plays quite a big part in the story. This means that there are several protagonists in the film. Barbara does, however, act distant when she is trying to protect Sophia from the giants. Unfortunately, this begins to create a stain on their friendship, but their troubles bring them together as they have to work as a team to defeat their common enemy.
When Barbara tries to escape the giant, a close-up shot is followed by a long range shot to highlight the fear in Barbara's face and the distance way the giant is. This helps to illustrate what is happening in the narrative. As Barbara and the giant are alone, this part and most of the narrative is seen through Barbara's eyes. However, some aspects of the film is presented from Sophia's perspective. For example, you can see the affect of Barbara's bravery, in Sophia's eyes, in the school.